


Companionship in the Tundra

by Batscree



Category: League of Legends
Genre: Fanbabies, Mild Blood, Partial Nudity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-07
Updated: 2016-10-07
Packaged: 2018-08-19 23:58:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,217
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8229163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Batscree/pseuds/Batscree
Summary: Braum meets a strange, little yordle in the Freljord and decides to take her in. Sequel to my other work, Terror in the Tundra.





	1. Meeting in the Snow

Small, sharp claws scratched at the snow and ice, crunching it underneath it's warm touch. A dark nose sniffed at the crisp air, picking up the scents of rocks and creatures of the winter lands. Ears twitched, catching the sound of the whispering winds.

Sensing nothing important nearby, the figure lifted itself from the white shield, surveying the landscape. Deciding it was safe to move on, the figure stood on their hind legs. With their weapon in hand, they continued their voyage through the snow.

It had been a while since their last meal and they were growing impatient for some foolish creature to make itself known to them to hunt down and slaughter. They were also growing anxious and itched for a battle.

 

~oOo~

 

The jolly man trotted through the snow like it was nothing, shield in hand. It was one of the slow days, the perfect time to go for a short walk to just enjoy life and sightsee. And maybe see a poro or two. The weather was rather calm on this day, only adding to the fine day. He gave a deep, relaxed sigh, beaming brightly. 

He had only been traveling for around half an hour now, and was in a rather open area, far from the others, or really anything. And yet, he could hear a tiny crunching sound, like that of a small poro trudging through the snow.

He looked around curiously, more than happy to see one of the adorable lopped tongue creatures. But none could be seen. He couldn't even see any paw prints or signs of movement. He scratched his mustache, looking around carefully.

Suddenly, a movement underneath the snow. He perked up, staring at the spot. He could make out a lump in the snow. He worked to get closer to the spot, when it suddenly moved again. Ever so slightly it shifted closer to him.

Unsure of what lay under the cold ice, he clutched his shield, preparing for a fight. It drew closer and closer still, until... it suddenly sprung from the blanket! It lunged at him and in one swift movement, attached itself to his boot and yipped happily up at him.

He lowered his weapon, a smile creeping on his lips at the fluffy poro sitting on him. He bent down to pet the creature, but in another swift motion, the poro jumped off his leg, running away in a panic. This caught the man off guard.

Usually poros were friendly and loved attention, especially from him. So, why did it run away? Deciding that it must of been some other disturbance, he turned back to the area the poro was previously hiding in. He headed towards the direction opposite of where the creature ran off to.

He was going to get to the bottom of this if it was the last thing he'd do.

 

~oOo~

 

Crud, it got away. The figure growled under their breath, kicking the snow beneath their feet in frustration. They were starving, tired, and growing impatient with every second that ticked by when they didn't have the savory taste of meat and blood on their tongue.

Their mouth watered at the thought, but was soon shaken from their thoughts. Focus! They screamed in their head. It was getting rather late, the cloudy grey sky was now turning into a dark blue. Nightfall was falling and if they didn't hurry back now, they may freeze from the cold, cruel night's air.

Turning back, they gathered up their weapon and began to head back.

Minutes passed, and their gate had slowed drastically. Not having eaten that day and with the wind now blowing, they were struggling to reach their destination. A storm was picking up quick, but they didn't care, they just needed to keep walking.

They were so determined to keep moving, that they didn't notice that a large figure was close behind and reached a hand out to them. Picking up the unfamiliar scent, it was too late, and they were grasped by the scruff of their collar and lifted off the ground.

Brown eyes widened, the small creature began to struggle against the larger figure's restraints and snarled. The figure was taken aback by the hostility, but refused to let them go. Soon, they were faced to face with the large male.

The man blinked in surprise. It was a yordle! And a female at that! She wasn't wearing much aside for a white, fluffy dress and... was that a poro skull hiding her left eye?! He stared in disbelief at the tiny female, lifting her farther away to get a better look at her.

She was a rather tiny yordle, with big ears, one of which appeared to have two holes in them and... Ok, did she honestly put ROCKS in the holes? They're still bleeding for Freljord's sake! Alright, moving on. She wasn't wearing much, again, a simple white dress and skull attached to her head like a mask. She was a very pale blue shade, with piercing dark brown eyes that glared daggers at him. She bared needle sharp fangs, snarling in defense. Looking further down he noticed the dagger in her hand, made of bone, a red string tied at the base. Matching red blood was still stained at the tip, which quickly found its way into his arm's skin.

His eyes widened and he yelped at the sudden pain, releasing her in the process. She softly landed in the snow, getting into a defensive stance. He bellowed in pain and held his wounded, bleeding arm in his hand. That weapon was sharp!

She hissed up at him, weapon clutched between her claws, reading to strike again at any second. He didn't want to fight the frail looking yordle. Honestly, he didn't. If anything, he was concerned that a yordle was out all on her own. Why was she by herself? Where were her friends or family? Wasn't it dangerous for yordles to be left alone?

All these questions buzzed through his mind, forcing him to shake them aside. He looked back down to the female to see that she was panting heavily, about ready to collapse. He let his guard down, lowering his shield. He tried to approach her cautiously, calming her down, but she only responded with hisses and threats.

"Now young yordle, please calm down, I only-"

"Shut it! Prepare to fight!" She snapped.

Her voice sounded shaky and hoarse, as if she wasn't used to talking. For a yordle her age, she seemed to have a limited vocabulary, probably due to her isolation.

She was about to snap at him more, but was interrupted by her hacks and gags. The cold night air and lack of sustenance finally got to her, and she slowly blacked out in the snow. The man rushed over to retrieve the fallen girl and scooped her up into his arms.

He cradled her gently, checking for any other physical injuries other than her ear, but found none. Without further to lose, he headed back to his home to attend to the unconscious yordle.

 

~oOo~

 

She slowly began to draw back into consciousness, opening her eyes. She blinked, vision fuzzy, and eyes droopy. She reached up to rub the sleep from her eyes and yawned. Something was off, something, about this room...

Her eyes widened when she realized that she was laying on something soft and comfy, completely different from her usual bed of animal pelts. Not to mention it was much warmer in here than her den. She looked about the room, quickly learning that this was definitely NOT her den.

It was much larger in here and had strange things she wasn't accustomed to. No weapon or scattered bones in sight. She sneered. She hated it here.

She sat up shakily, head still spinning. She rubbed her head and felt something located around her ear. Curiously, she rubbed against her ear, feeling a smooth cloth wrapped around it. Realization hit her and she snarled angrily.

The yordle scratched at the wrappings, tearing it off and causing the two holes to bleed again. She tossed the shreds on the ground in a huff. 

"Ah, it seems you're awake young yordle."

She zipped her head towards the booming voice, coming face to face with the man from earlier. He was attending to one of those fuzzy balls of snow she was chasing before. Getting a better look at him, she noted that she hasn't seen him around before like she has with the other creatures among the tundra.

There was no doubt he was a warrior what with his built and markings, probably one of the ones that fought against each other among the lands. She wanted to reach for her dagger, but found it was nowhere nearby. Her teeth clenched as he approached. Both were unarmed, but she still felt threatened. 

"Greetings, I failed to properly introduce myself to you earlier. I am Braum, The Heart of Freljord." He smiled warmly down at her.

She grimaced and stood up from her spot, taking a stance. Her paws were on her hips and chest puffed out in dominance. He may be taller, but she was mightier.

"I am The Winter Warrioress! Hunter of the tundra and killer to the frost!" She declared, lifting her chin in the air.

He nodded in acknowledgement, admirable to her warrior's heart. But a question still bothered him.

"Well warrioress, may I ask your name?"

She glared at his comment, arms crossed now.

"That is my name. I go by no other."

He continued to smile down at her, but it still concerned him that she didn't appear to have a name. Come to think of it, why was she out here all alone? Freljord was no place for a yordle, especially not such a young one such as herself.

"Where is your family young warrioress?"

She looked shocked at the question, giving him a puzzled look. She looked to the side in thought, thinking it of over.

"I... do not need one." She answered. Her stern eyes bore into his friendly ones. "All I need is myself and my will."

The warrior frowned at this. No name? No family? Nothing but the snow around her and a dagger in her paw. It tugged at the man's heart, almost bringing a single, manly tear to his eye. But he did not let it fall. He stood tall and proud, standing over her.

"Well little lady, I, Braum, shall bestow upon you a name. A name in which you shall go by from this day forth. A name that will strike fear in the hearts of your enemies and pride in those of your companions. Yordle Warrioress, I now dub thee, Ursa, meaning 'little female bear.' Named for your small, but burly strength and power. Wear it with pride and show others your might and skill."

The newly named Ursa blinked once, and then twice. Ursa? Like, after those two star formations in the sky she's heard others talk about? Bears? She's named after a bear? She's only seen one bear in her life and he was a pretty strong fighter in battle. She's secretly wanted to challenge him for who knows how long. Ursa... It had a nice sound to it. Beautiful, and yet somehow fitting for her brave structure.

She nodded in approval, cracking a short toothy smile. She liked it. 

"I, like it. It fits me."

He grinned at this and gave a hearty laugh. And before she knew it, he had lifted her up and gave her a big 'ol bear hug. She hissed at his affection, fur bristled. She did NOT like to be touched, let alone, held in such a manner.

She scratched at him with her claws, yelling curses and threats at him. He loosened his grip on her and grinned down at her.

"Now young Ursa, hold your tongue at such words. You have a long way to go, but I will be sure to be the one to help you through it." He began.

She deadpanned at this, still on edge.

"What are you babbling on about?" She demanded.

"Why, you joining our legion of course!"

Her ear twitched at this.

"Legion?"

"My team! You see, I fight alongside Lady Ashe in an endless battle of the Freljord."

"Lady Ashe?"

He nodded. "Mhm, she is an honorable archer and ruler. She works to combine the tribes into one nation."

Ursa's head spinned. She wasn't aware that the tundra that she called home was split up and at constant war. Sure, she saw warriors fighting, but she always believed it to be due to survival. Survival was all she ever knew. Kill or be killed. She shook the thoughts from her head and glared up at him.

"And why would I want to join your tribe..?" She narrowed her eyes.

He gave her a quizzical look. Realizing what she meant, he got a little bashful. He hadn't really considered what her opinion on the matter would of been. He was so focused on her heart for battle, that he got ahead of himself. She was just now getting to know him and was probably the first contact she must of had in years.

"Ah, forgive me yordle warrioress. I got caught up in my excitement and put your feelings behind my own. I only wish for you to join my team for your benefit. You must be lonely living all on your own for so long, and only wish to help you. We could also train you and improve your skills. Simple survival skills and lone training can only get you so far young one."

His words stung her. Was he suggesting that she wasn't as strong as his team?! She could maul him and those blizzard bastards with nothing but her bone dagger and bear claws! How dare he insult her as such! She'll show him! She'll show them all!

"I have defeated beasts bigger and mightier than you! I have traveled through this cruel tundra on bare foot, swam through icy cold puddles, and slain my enemies for their pelts and meat! And yet you still say that I need your help among all?! I have done fine on my own and has no need for family! All I need is my dagger and wits! Why would I ever need something as useless as companionship?!" She bellowed, having escaped his grip and landed perfectly onto the wooden floor.

Braum frowned at the female's words. This cold, lonely isolation has really changed the yordle for the worst. Her body may be strong, but her heart was frozen solid. Seeing it firsthand now, he knew he had to make it his duty to take in this orphaned yordle and reform her. Silently promising himself, he bend down to her height.

"Young Ursa, you may not see it now, but you need me more than you know. You have missed so much in your isolation and have lost something very valuable. I shall work to help you retrieve it back, even if it takes a lifetime."

Ursa did not say another word, just stared up into his stern eyes with her sneer. He had taken her to his home while unconscious, removed her ear rocks and bandaged it up without her permission, fed and warmed her up, insulted her skills, and is practically forcing her to join his tribe and battle alongside him in some stupid war that she wasn't even aware of. And now, and now he had the audacity to tell her that she's missing something important in her life?

She cracked a faint smile.

He was brave. Brave enough to taunt her in such a manner and challenge herself worth. She respected that.

"When is my first battle?"

He grinned, giving another hearty laugh.


	2. Baths

"..I do not understand..."

The young yordle stood ahead of a small tub filled with water that steamed and settled quietly before her. She looked up at the man next to her, who only beamed down at her.

"It is a tub. You take baths in them." He responded, walking over to place a towel and a mysterious white bar next to the wooden tub. He walked back over to her, handing her a long stick that had these weird bristles at the end of it.

She stared at the odd object, sniffing at it. She poked at the end, drawing her finger back when feeling the soft tips. She sneered, it definitely wasn't a weapon, that's for sure. Completely useless.

"That's a brush, you use it to clean yourself. You take that white bar of soap over there, rub it on the end of the brush, and use the same end to scrub off any unnecessary dirt from yourself." He explained. 

She stared in confusion and awe. She had never bathed before. Sure, she's licked away blood and wounds in the past. And she's fallen through ice and into the frozen watery depths, nearly drowning in the process, but never willingly stepped into water before.

"If you need some help young yordle, I am willing to assist you in-"

"No! I can handle my own!" She snapped, stomping over to the tub in a huff.

The mustached man only shook his head in amusement and walked out of the room, closing the door on the way out, to give her some privacy.

She watched him leave, before giving her full attention to the steaming tub. She grimaced at the sight. She really did not want to get in that thing. She wasn't too keen on the idea of getting soaked in freezing water... again. But atlas, he wasn't going to reveal where he had her precious weapon hidden until she took one of these "baths."

With a disgruntled sigh, she approached the wooden basin and sniffed at it. Odd, it was actually omitting, heat. Her nostrils were filled with the hot steamy vapor. Even odder, it seemed to relax her a bit. Her lips twitched into a smile and she placed her hands at the basin's edges.

Slowly and carefully, she raised one foot above the rippling waters. Still unsure, she ever so slowly placed one foot into the water, only to retreat it as quickly as it touched it. The water, was hot! It was genuinely hot! Unlike that cruel, cold waters of the tundra!

But she still hated the soaked feeling of her fur getting wet.

She shook her foot of the loose droplets, focusing her attention on the tub brim. She once again placed her foot above the surface, slowly merging into the water. Ignoring the uncomfortable feeling, she dipped in her other foot. Within minutes, she was completely emerged in the steamy water, all the way up to her shoulders.

She sat there awkwardly, unsure of what to think about the whole thing. The heat surrounding her was a relief to have, having grown up in nothing but the bitter cold her entire life. But the swallowing feeling of water consuming her very being left the yordle just a bit more than nervous.

Ursa shifted in the water, unable to sit down all the way and settled for laying on her knees. She reached for the soap, grasping it in her paw, nearly dropping the unfamiliar object in the process. She hissed under her breath and quickly got to work.

The bar was rubbed on the brush's bristles, building up the soapy suds. Fascinated with the strange new discovery, she sniffed at the brush and soap again. It smelt... sweet, very floral and strong. She hated it. Sneering, she scrubbed the brush against her arm none the less.

It didn't hurt fortunately, but it brought on a whole new feeling for the yordle. She decided to ignore it and just get this over with so she could get out, get dried, and get her belongings back.

Not so soon after, she was completely covered in the suds, dripping in the soapy water. She grumbled and cursed under her breath the entire time, working on rinsing the soap off of her. By now she was swimming in dirt, blood, and other questionable materials found deep in her fur.

"Young yordle, is everything alright in there?"

She jumped as a pounding knock came from the door, followed by the booming voice of the said male. Her teeth were clenched as he spoke again.

"Do you need assistance? I can always come in and help with anything you might need..."

Ursa's eyes widened, and she scrambled to get out from the filthy watery basin.

"No!" She hissed, nearly slipping while rushing to the door.

Her blue fur was dripping with the clear liquid. She shook her entire body in an effort to remove the droplets, but was still soaked. She ran over to the door and in a huff, pushed open the door. She wasn't angry that she was taking a bath when he asked this, but that he was still offering her unneeded help even still.

She was a grown, independent yordle! Getting help from the likes of him was shameful and weak! 

The door swung open from her frustrated outburst, causing the door to nearly smack Braum straight in the face. He stumble back, giving her some room to exit from the bathroom. Wide eyed and confused, he looked down at the female, only to see a blue ball of fur soaked and still dripping.

Embarrassed, he covered his eyes and looked away.

"I apologize young yordle, I did not realize your current state..."

Confused and still flustered, she turned to look up at him, to see his face had a red tint and was turned away from her. She titled her head, a confused sneer gracing her face.

"What?" Was all she could manage to ask.

"I did not see that you were... indecent."

Indecent? What was this large lummox talking about now? How was she indecent? Was being covered in water indecent to these people? Tch, figures...

"I do not know what you are rambling about, but I want my clothes and dagger back." She snapped, crossing her arms.

Braum nodded, still covering his eyes, he left the room to retrieve her items. He returned soon after, clothes in hand. He set them down near her, never once peaking to even look her in the brown eyes. She snorted through her nose, picking up the clothes to redress when...

"What?! These are not my clothes! What trickery is this?!"

The yordle glared up at the male. He still refused to meet her gaze until she was clothed, but answered her question still.

"Your previous clothes were old and worn, and are not beneficial in a fight. You could get your knees caught in them or may reveal yourself in battle."

She blinked. Reveal herself? What?

"The tunic is made of the same material fur; the corset is to add support and protection to your vital region. The skirt is more fitting and allows more leg movement, while still being modest." He explained. "It was all I had, but I can always find something else..." He offered.

She examined the clothes, thinking over what he said. Well, they did look a lot more comfortable than her dress coat... And he DID go through all the trouble to get her something nice...

"...I am still wet.."

He nodded in understanding, grabbing and handing her a towel. She covered herself in the soft cloth, working to dry herself of any remaining water. She looked over at him. His face had gone down now and was no longer as red.

"What about my helmet?"

"Oh..! Your old one was cracking and much too small to even be considered a durable helmet, so..." 

He walked over to one of his shelves, picking out a another skull, one that did not belong to a poro like her previous one. He walked over to her, slowly placing it on her head. Her ears flattened from the weight.

"A much better fit. It will require some holes for your ears, but the skull of this beast is tougher than iron and lighter than wood. It will be a perfect shield for your head."

Ursa was much drier by now. Dry enough to start putting on her new clothes and mess with the new helmet that was currently resting on her head. She did have to agree, this skull was much more efficient, so were the clothes. She hated to admit it, but his kindness was rather... helpful.

"Uhm... Mm..." She fidgeted in place, claws racking on the wooden floor. "These items are very.. helpful and..." She trailed off.

Braum couldn't help but crack a smile at the yordle, chuckling.

"It is my pleasure young yordle. As I said before, I am here to help you and improve your battle skills."

She groaned in frustration, covering her face with the towel, biting at it in anger. Dear Freljord, why must he be so aggravating?! He gave a hearty laugh, petting her head. She flinched away, scratching at him.

"Do not touch me!"

"Hahaha! I apologize young yordle. And Ursa?"

She looked up at him, curious, but still angered.

"Your welcome."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just to be clear, Braum didn't realize just how old Ursa was until he saw her, bare, with her fur sticking to her figure. She's still fairly young, but is old enough to be blossoming. That's why he originally had no issue with helping her bathe, believing she was still a child.


End file.
